“I have most of it.”
Jack had insisted he pay Lauren the whole amount up-front, but Lauren refused, even though she could have used it to pay off Belinda sooner. She’d never charged a client the full amount until they were completely satisfied with the end results. He wasn’t happy with the arrangement, but reluctantly agreed.
Fidgeting with an orange lighter in her hand, Belinda flicked the flame on and off like she was dying to light up another cigarette. The stale smoke clinging to her smelled like she’d already smoked a couple of packs. “I told you I need all of it.”
The waitress arrived and placed Belinda’s coffee on the table.
Belinda took a sip, then frowned. “This tastes like shit.” She tore open three sugar packets and poured them into the cup.
“You’ve asked for a lot of money. I’ll have the rest at the end of the week.” Lauren pulled out an envelope from her purse and slid it across the table. Belinda could take it or leave it.
Looking eager to get her hands on the money, Belinda snatched the envelope up, ripped it open, and counted the cash. When she appeared satisfied that she had most of it, she put the envelope in a grungy-looking bag.
“You better have the rest by the end of the week.” She coughed a smoker’s mucous cough. “Or I’d have to ask Graham for the rest.” Then she laughed, if you could call the hacking sound she made laughing. “Ya know it might be fun spillin’ your dirty little secret just for the laughs.”
Anger rolled deep in Lauren’s gut, and she stiffened. “We agreed I’d give you money when you needed it.”
“Relax, I’m kiddin’,” she sniggered. “Geez, you’re so touchy.”
It would be so much easier for Lauren to tell Belinda to go to hell and let her go to whoever she wanted with the twisted story. It would finally get her sister off her back and out of her life, and she’d never have to deal with her again. But she didn’t want to ruin people’s lives. Not because Graham deserved her discretion, but because he had an innocent wife and young daughter who would be thrown into a media frenzy. They were the perfect family with a glamorous life. Australia’s much loved family would be brought down in an instant.
The attention Lauren would receive would get ugly too. Even though she’d been a naïve teenager who didn’t know she was having an affair with a married man, she’d be portrayed as the home-wrecking whore who seduced a happily married man and then tried trapping him by getting pregnant. The media loved a good scandal, and they’d play it up as big as they could get it. That kind of attention would ruin her reputation and probably her business. This had to stay quiet, so she had no other choice but to keep paying off Belinda.
“How’s Mum doing?” Lauren asked out of curiosity.
Belinda choked on the coffee and took a moment to clear her throat. “She died.”
“She died? Why the hell didn’t you tell me?”
Belinda shrugged. “Didn’t think you’d care.” She took a gulp of her coffee.
Did she care? A cold emptiness took over her heart. It was hard to care with so much built-up resentment.
“When is the funeral?”
Belinda used the back of her hand to wipe the dribble of coffee from her chin. “Last week. Sorry, did you want to go?” she asked with mock sweetness.
No, she wouldn’t have gone, but she didn’t like having the choice taken away from her.
“You still could’ve called.”
Placing a hand on her chest, her fingers stained yellow from smoking, Belinda said with sarcasm, “Aww, I didn’t know you cared. Anyway, if you’re interested, she had another stroke that finished her off.”
Lauren kept her clenched fists in her lap or she’d be tempted to wipe the smugness from
Belinda’s face. “How did you pay for the funeral?”
“I made an arrangement with a guy who works in the gardens at the funeral home. He asked his boss for a payment plan for me,” she said, winking.
Lauren shuddered. She didn’t want to think about the kind ofarrangementshe’d made.
“You still could’ve told me what was happening.” She kept her voice smooth and in control even though fury boiled like hot lava in her veins.
Belinda narrowed her red-rimmed eyes at Lauren. “You didn’t give a shit about Mum, so why would I tell you? You didn’t miss much. No one turned up ’cept for me. The priest said a few words and it was done. It was very moving.” She wiped a pretend tear from her eye. “Well, my dear sister, as much as I’ve enjoyed our little chat, I must be off.” Tossing her head back, Belinda swallowed the remaining coffee, then banged the cup down onto the table. She waved her fingers and said, “See ya soon.” And she left as she’d entered—in a cloud of cigarette smoke and cheap perfume.
Chapter Twenty
Sitting motionless, Lauren stared at the cars and people walking past the coffee shop. Her mother had died, the funeral already held, and she hadn’t been there for either. If Belinda didn’t need money, she wondered if she would have been told at all. She doubted it.